Original First Edition of Games People Play from Eric Berne’s private library.
Thesis. Heterosexual perversions such as fetishism, sadism, and masochism are symptomatic of a confused Child and are treated accordingly. Their transactional aspects, however, as manifested in actual sexual situations, can be dealt with by means of game analysis. This may lead to social control, so that even if the warped sexual impulses remain unchanged, they are neutralized as far as actual indulgence is concerned.
People who are suffering from mild sadistic or masochistic distortions tend to take a primitive kind of Mental Health position. They feel that they are strongly sexed, and that prolonged abstinence will lead to serious consequences. Neither of these conclusions is necessarily true, but they form the basis for a game of “Wooden Leg” with the plea: “What do you expect from someone as strongly sexed as I am?”
The description of this game on this page is incomplete. For a complete description of this game, refer to Games People Play.
